Photograph: Portrait of King Henry VIII. Henry has a grey beard and a serious expression. He wears a hat with a fur brim and a gold chain around his shoulders. © National Portrait Gallery, London.
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Oil on panel

Date: 1536-1537

This portrait shows Henry VIII when he was around 46 years old, about the time when he had his second wife, Anne Boleyn, executed, and married his third, Jane Seymour. It shows him beginning to gain weight due to ill health. Aged 45 he still had a relatively slim waist of 37 inches (94cm), but by the time he was 49 this had increased to 54 inches (137cm). Injuries from previous riding accidents and a severely ulcerated leg caused him great pain and restricted his movements. The portrait is in the style of Hans Holbein the Younger, and is on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Accession number: L192

Place of collection:

Material: wood (panel); oil

Measurements: 48.3 x 34.3 cm

Gallery location: Open display

Related material

Subjects:

Dissolution
National Government
Reformation

Objects:


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